Valve housing for a fuel tank-mounted valve assembly and method of manufacturing same

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing a valve assembly for a fuel tank includes forming a valve housing with a recess that is sized to retain a component inserted into the recess. The component is detectable by a sensor located outside of the fuel tank when the valve assembly is mounted in the fuel tank. A valve assembly includes a valve housing having a recess. The component is retained in the recess by the valve housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 12/784,698, filed May 21, 2010, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a valve housing for a fuel tank-mounted valveassembly, and a method of manufacturing the same.

BACKGROUND

A valve assembly is often used in a fuel tank to control vapor pressurewithin the fuel tank. The valve assembly is usually mounted to the fueltank. Sometimes the fuel tank is formed in two portions, and the valveassembly is mounted to one of the portions so that it can be visiblyinspected to ensure that it is properly mounted before the two portionsare heat welded or otherwise joined to one another to enclose the valveassembly within the tank. In other configurations, the valve assemblymounts to the tank at an opening. When the valve assembly is visiblymounted at the opening, its proper orientation may be assured by visualinspection.

SUMMARY

While valve assemblies mounted to fuel tanks as described above aresuitable for their purposes, they require additional assembly steps,such as connecting the two portions of the tank after installation ofthe valve, or connecting a cover over the valve assembly after it ismounted to the tank. Some fuel tanks are formed as a completed unitprior to installation of the valve assembly so that the valve assemblymust be installed to an inner surface of the tank “blindly”, i.e.,without being able to see the inner surface, such as by reaching throughan opening in the tank. A valve assembly and a method of manufacturingsuch a valve assembly ensure that the valve assembly will be properlypositioned within the fuel tank, especially when installed blindly. Thevalve assembly includes a valve housing with a recess that permits acomponent to be inserted into the recess and retained in the recess bythe housing. The component is detectable by a location sensor locatedoutside of the fuel tank when the valve assembly is mounted in the fueltank. Thus, although the installation of the valve assembly may be doneblindly, the orientation of the installed valve assembly can beconfirmed with a sensor located outside of the fuel tank. In oneembodiment, the component is substantially flat and has a side. Therecess is a slot with an entrance sufficiently deep to receive the sideof the component.

The above features and advantages and other features and advantages ofthe present invention are readily apparent from the following detaileddescription of the best modes for carrying out the invention when takenin connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of a first embodiment ofthe valve housing with a component retained in a recess of the housing;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic plan view of the valve housing of FIG.1;

FIG. 3A is a fragmentary schematic illustration in cross-sectional viewof a portion of the valve housing of FIGS. 1-2 taken at the lines 3A-3Ain FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B is a fragmentary schematic illustration in cross-sectional viewof a portion of the valve housing of FIGS. 1-2 taken at lines 3B-3B inFIG. 2A, showing the component retained in a recess formed by thehousing;

FIG. 4 is a schematic fragmentary side view of the valve housing ofFIGS. 1-3B;

FIG. 5 is a schematic, partially cross-sectional illustration of a fueltank having a valve assembly with the valve housing of FIG. 1 mounted toan inner surface of the fuel tank;

FIG. 6 is a schematic fragmentary cross-sectional illustration of asecond embodiment of a valve housing showing a second embodiment of acomponent pressed into a recess formed in the valve housing;

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view illustration of the disc of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective illustration of a third embodiment ofa valve housing for a valve assembly for the fuel tank of FIG. 5, havinganother component retained in a recess formed by the housing;

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view, fragmentary illustration of the recessin the housing of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional illustration of the portion of the housingshown in FIG. 9 taken at lines 10-10; and

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing thevalve housings of FIGS. 1-10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to likecomponents, FIG. 1 shows a valve housing 10 that is part of a valveassembly 11 shown schematically in FIG. 5. The valve housing 10 ismounted to an inner surface 12 of a wall 13 of fuel tank 14 of FIG. 5.Additional components of the valve assembly 11 are mounted to thehousing 10. The valve assembly 11 is mounted in an interior space 15 ofthe fuel tank 14, and may be used to control vapor pressure within thefuel tank 14. For example, at a predetermined pressure, vapor may berouted out of the fuel tank 14 through a vapor line connected to abarbed port 20 shown in FIG. 1. The valve housing 10 may be mounted tothe inner surface 12 of the fuel tank 14 through an opening in the tank14 that is not shown in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 5, and that isspaced from the location of the mounting. Mounting features 21 of thehousing 10 of FIG. 1 mate with features of the inner surface 12 of thewall 13 to secure the housing 10 to the tank 14 of FIG. 5. Thus, themounting operation is done “blindly” in that neither the valve assembly11 nor the inner surface 12 of the fuel tank 14 is visible to anoperator reaching into the tank 14.

To ensure proper mounting of the housing 10, the housing 10 is formedwith a recess 16, best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, that is sized toretain a component 22 that will be detectable by a sensor locatedoutside of the fuel tank 14, as explained further below. Variousembodiments of valve housings formed with recesses that retain thecomponent 22, or another detectable component, are shown and describedbelow. The housings may be formed using relatively simple and costeffective methods.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the valve housing 10 is formed as a one-piece,injection-molded housing, although the housing 10 may alternately beformed by other methods and in multiple pieces. The housing 10 is formedwith the recess 16 that is a slot, and also referred to as a pocket. Thedetectable component 22 is a substantially flat metal disc with a side23 that defines the periphery of the component 22 and is between twoopposing faces 25, 26, as shown in FIG. 4. The recess 16 is formed withan entrance 18 that has a depth D sufficient to allow the side 23 of thecomponent 22 to be inserted first. The component 22 is pushed into therecess 16 with the side 23 (see FIG. 2) leading into the recess 16. Adetectable component with a different shape than a disc, such as arectangular shape, may be used instead. A disc-shaped component maydecrease the number of assembly steps since a disc has only onecontinuous side, so a specific side of the component need not beoriented to the entrance before insertion into the recess.

The recess 16 is formed during injection molding by positioning twoinserts 17 and 19 (shown in FIG. 1) in a die. Insert 17, shown inphantom in FIG. 1, extends downward to form an opening 34 extending froman upper surface 24 of the housing 10 to an inner surface 36, shown inFIG. 4, on which the component 22 will rest. Another insert 19, alsoshown in phantom in FIG. 1, is positioned orthogonal to the opening 34and orthogonal to insert 17 to form the recess 16. The inserts 17, 19are shown schematically only. The shapes of the inserts 17, 19 may bemore complex than is shown.

During forming of the housing 10, the upper surface 24 of the housing 10is formed with a slight depression 28 to create a lip 30, shown in FIGS.3A-4. The lip 30 is spaced slightly back from the entrance 18 toward thecenter of the housing 10, as shown in FIG. 3B, and angles downward froman outer portion 38 to an inner portion 40. The lip 30 ends at theopening 34 extending from the upper surface 24 (see FIG. 1) of thehousing 10 to the inner surface 36 (see FIG. 4) on which the component22 rests. The slight inward angling of the lip 30 allows the component22 to slide into the recess 16 by slightly flexing the lip 30 upward.The inner portion 40 of the lip 30 will then block the component 22 frombacking out of the entrance 18 when the lip 30 flexes back to itsoriginal, unstressed position, as shown in FIG. 3B.

FIG. 5 shows the valve housing 10 secured to the tank 14. A sensor 42positioned outside of the tank 14 can be used to determine the depth andangular orientation of the component 22 within the tank 14, as indicatedby signal 43 emanating from sensor 42 to determine the position ofcomponent 22. The component 22 may be a stamped metal disc. The recess16 is designed so that the inserted component 22 is exposed at theopening 34 which will be adjacent the surface 12 when the valve assembly11 is mounted to the tank 14 of FIG. 5. The sensor 42 may be a metaldetector. This positioning data can be compared to a stored positionvalue to verify that the housing 10 is correctly mounted.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an alternative embodiment of a valve housing 110 fora valve assembly 111 that can be mounted internally to tank 14 such ashousing 10 is mounted in FIG. 5. The valve housing 110 is formed with arecess 116 formed in an upper surface 125 of the housing 110. Thehousing 110 may be a one-piece, injection- molded component. The recess116 is cylindrical in shape, but is not limited to a cylindrical shape.A detectable component 122 is inserted into the recess 116. Thecomponent 122 is a generally annular, stamped metal disc with an angledrim 130. The angle A of the rim 130 may be thirty degrees, but otherangles will also be sufficient. The rim 130 has a toothed or variegatededge 134. As shown in FIG. 6, an arbor press 133 has a passage 135 towhich a vacuum source (not shown) is attached to hold the component 122to the press 133. The press 133 lowers the component 122 and presses thecomponent 122 into the recess 116. The variegated edge 134 interfereswith the housing 110 at the recess 116, digging into the housing 110.The vacuum source is shut off, and the arbor press 133 is withdrawn,with the detectable component 122 now retained to the housing 110 in therecess 116. The position of the detectable component 122 is detectableby the sensor 42 when the housing 110 is mounted to the inner surface 12of the tank 14 of FIG. 5. The recess 116 is designed so component 122 isexposed and will be positioned adjacent surface 12 of FIG. 5 when thevalve assembly 111 is mounted to tank 14. The position of the detectablecomponent 122 is indicative of the mounted position of the housing 110,and can thus be used to verify appropriate installation of the housing110 within the tank 14.

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate a third embodiment of a housing 210 for a valveassembly 211. The housing 210 mounts to the surface 12 of the tank 14 ofFIG. 5 by any means, such as by welding, etc. An opening 234 extendsfrom the outer surface 224 of the housing 210 all the way through thehousing 210. The opening 234 and a recess 216 are formed with aninjection molding tool from above and below. The recess 216 retains adetectable component 222. Referring to FIG. 10, the component 222 has aside 223 and opposing surfaces 225, 226. Referring to FIG. 8, thehousing 210 may be injection-molded. Referring to FIG. 9, the housing210 has side ledges 262 that overhang the recess 216 both above andbelow the component 222 to retain the edges of the component 222. Therecess 216 extends beyond the ledges 262 so that the ledges 262 act assleeves to partially cover portions of the component 222. The housing210 forms a lip 230 that extends upward at an edge of the recess 216, asshown in FIG. 10. The lip 230 and ledges 262 are flexible enough toallow the component 222 to be slid with side 223 entering first into anentrance 218 of the recess 216. Once inserted, the lip 230 interfereswith the component 222 when the component 222 moves toward the lip 230,retaining the component 222 within the recess 216. The component 222 isexposed at the opening 234 adjacent the inner surface 12 of the fueltank 14 of FIG. 5 when the assembly 211 is installed in the tank 14.

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of a method 300 of manufacturing a valveassembly for mounting internally to a fuel tank 14, such as valveassemblies 11, 111 and 211 of FIGS. 1-10. The method 300 begins withstep 302, forming a valve housing 10, 110 or 210 with a recess 16, 116or 216 sized to retain a component 22, 122, 222 inserted into the recess16, 116, 216. Step 302 may be carried out by an injection-moldingprocess, but other manufacturing methods, such as machining, may also beused. Forming the housing 10, 110 or 210 with a recess 16, 116 or 216may include forming an opening 34, 234 and/or a lip 30, 230, and mayrequire holding inserts 17, 19 to form the opening 34 and recess 16.

After the housing 10, 110 or 210 is fully formed, the detectablecomponent 22, 122 or 222 is inserted into the recess 16, 116 or 216 instep 304. For some types of formed housings 10 or 210, such as recess 16or 216, the component 22 or 222 is inserted side-first, because therecess 16 or 216 is formed like a pocket or slot. For otherconfigurations of formed housings, such as housing 110, the component122 is inserted by pressing the component 122 into the recess 116face-first, using an arbor press or the like.

Once the component 22, 122 or 222 is inserted into the housing 10, 110or 210, the housing 10, 110 or 210 may be mounted to the inner surface12 of the fuel tank 14, and the component 22, 122 or 222 will bedetectable by sensor 42. Forming the housing 10, 110 or 210 with arecess 16, 116 or 216, and in some embodiments with a lip 30, 230,enables a relatively quick and easy insertion process for the disc 22,122 or 222.

While the best modes for carrying out the invention have been describedin detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relateswill recognize various alternative designs and embodiments forpracticing the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

1-14. (canceled)
 15. A valve assembly comprising: a valve housing havinga cylindrical recess; a metal disc sized to fit into the recess and tobe retained in the cylindrical recess only by the valve housing so thatthe metal disc is exposed; wherein the cylindrical recess is exposed ata surface of the housing; and wherein the metal disc has an angled rimconfigured to dig into the valve housing at the cylindrical recess sothat the metal disc is retained to the valve housing.
 16. The valveassembly of claim 15, wherein the angled rim has a variegated edge. 17.The valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the disc is generally circular;and wherein the variegated edge of the angled rim extends along theentire perimeter of the disc.
 18. The valve assembly of claim 16,wherein the variegated edge extends into the housing beyond the recess.19. The valve assembly of claim 15, wherein the cylindrical recess opensonly at an outer surface of the housing so that the metal disc isentirely within the housing below the outer surface.
 20. The valveassembly of claim 19, wherein the angled rim extends at least partiallytoward the outer surface of the housing.
 21. The valve assembly of claim19, wherein the angled rim has a variegated edge; and wherein no portionof the variegated edge is exposed.
 22. The valve assembly of claim 15,wherein the valve housing is a one-piece, injection-molded valvehousing.
 23. An assembly comprising: a fuel tank having a wall with aninner surface partially defining an interior space; a valve assemblyincluding: a component; a valve housing having a cylindrical recesssufficiently sized to contain the component, and having an opening atwhich the component is exposed when the component is contained in thecylindrical recess; wherein the valve assembly is mounted to the innersurface of the wall of the fuel tank with the opening facing the innersurface, thereby enabling the component to be detected from outside ofthe fuel tank; wherein the component has an angled rim; and wherein thevalve housing interferes with the angled rim at the cylindrical recessso that the component is retained to the valve housing.
 24. The assemblyof claim 23, wherein the angled rim has a variegated edge.
 25. Theassembly of claim 24, wherein the disc is generally circular; andwherein the variegated edge of the angled rim extends along the entireperimeter of the disc.
 26. The assembly of claim 24, wherein thevariegated edge extends into the housing beyond the cylindrical recess.27. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the cylindrical recess opens onlyat an outer surface of the housing so that the component is entirelywithin the housing below the outer surface and an exposed portion of thecomponent faces the inner surface of the fuel tank.
 28. The assembly ofclaim 23, wherein the angled rim extends at least partially toward theouter surface of the housing.
 29. The assembly of claim 23, wherein theangled rim has a variegated edge; and wherein no portion of thevariegated edge is exposed.
 30. The assembly of claim 23, wherein thevalve housing is a one-piece, injection-molded valve housing.
 31. Avalve assembly comprising: a valve housing having a generally flat outersurface and having a recess that extends into the valve housing from thegenerally flat outer surface; a disc sized to fit into the recess and tobe retained in the recess only by the valve housing so that the disc isexposed; and wherein the disc has a generally flat center portionsurrounded by an angled rim that is configured to interfere with thevalve housing in the recess below the generally flat outer surface sothat the disc is retained to the valve housing and only the generallyflat center portion is exposed in the recess.
 32. The valve assembly ofclaim 31, wherein the angled rim extends at least partially toward theouter surface of the housing.
 33. The valve assembly of claim 31,wherein the angled rim has a variegated edge; wherein the disc isgenerally circular; and wherein the variegated edge of the angled rimextends along the entire perimeter of the disc.
 32. The valve assemblyof claim 31, wherein the valve housing is a one-piece, injection-moldedvalve housing.